Alysa Liu Made History at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
Alysa Liu became the youngest senior ladies figure skating national champion in U.S. history by defeating defending champion Bradie Tennell at the championships in Detroit on Friday.
At 13 years old, Liu beat the record that Tara Lipinski set in 1997 when, at 14-years old, Lipinski won the ladies senior title and then went on to win the world title that year over Michelle Kwan.
Due to age limits, Liu will be ineligble to compete in senior international events until 2022 – but if she continues on this trajectory, Liu will undoubtedly be one of the biggest stars at the Winter Olympics that year in Beijing.
When Alysa Liu was 5, her father took her to a Saturday public session at the Oakland Ice Center. Arthur Liu, an attorney, had passed by the rink on the way to his office.
At the time he was thinking about Michelle Kwan, who was 13 when she finished second at the U.S. championships in Detroit. Alysa took to figure skating immediately, and her father got her private lessons.
Eight years later, at age 13, the Richmond skater made history Friday night by becoming the youngest to win a U.S. individual title. Like Kwan’s big breakthrough, it happened in Detroit.
At the time he was thinking about Michelle Kwan, who was 13 when she finished second at the U.S. championships in Detroit. Alysa took to figure skating immediately, and her father got her private lessons.
Eight years later, at age 13, the Richmond skater made history Friday night by becoming the youngest to win a U.S. individual title. Like Kwan’s big breakthrough, it happened in Detroit.
The 4-foot-7 prodigy is too young to compete in the next few world championships, which have a minimum entry age of 15.
But Alysa could provide a major boost for her sport domestically. The U.S. hasn’t won an Olympic medal in women’s figure skating since 2006.
Despite her age, she is a confident and intense competitor. She told reporters in Detroit, “I don’t skate to lose.”
Alysa will be 16 by the time the 2022 Games are held in Beijing. That will be the first season in which she is eligible to compete on the senior international circuit.
Previously, the youngest skater to win the U.S. championship was Tara Lipinski at 14 in 1997. Alysa beat her record by landing triple axels, a 3 ½-revolution jump.
Only three U.S. women — Tonya Harding, Kimmie Meissner and Mirai Nagasu — had been credited with landing one in competition before Alysa, who did it at age 11 in the Asian Open in Hong Kong in 2017, making her the youngest in the world ever to land it in an international event. She won silver in that competition.
But Alysa could provide a major boost for her sport domestically. The U.S. hasn’t won an Olympic medal in women’s figure skating since 2006.
Despite her age, she is a confident and intense competitor. She told reporters in Detroit, “I don’t skate to lose.”
Alysa will be 16 by the time the 2022 Games are held in Beijing. That will be the first season in which she is eligible to compete on the senior international circuit.
Previously, the youngest skater to win the U.S. championship was Tara Lipinski at 14 in 1997. Alysa beat her record by landing triple axels, a 3 ½-revolution jump.
Only three U.S. women — Tonya Harding, Kimmie Meissner and Mirai Nagasu — had been credited with landing one in competition before Alysa, who did it at age 11 in the Asian Open in Hong Kong in 2017, making her the youngest in the world ever to land it in an international event. She won silver in that competition.
In addition to becoming the youngest women’s champion, Liu also became the first American woman to successfully perform two triple axels in the long program at nationals. She also is the first U.S. woman to successfully land a triple axel in the short program at national championships.
While her diminutive stature—she’s only 4 feet 7 inches tall—certainly helps her rotate her jumps, it did present a challenge when it came to mounting the winner’s podium last night. She needed to be helped up by Tennell and Bell.
While her diminutive stature—she’s only 4 feet 7 inches tall—certainly helps her rotate her jumps, it did present a challenge when it came to mounting the winner’s podium last night. She needed to be helped up by Tennell and Bell.
This year’s competition was the first national championships held in Detroit since the infamous attack on Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. But Detroit was also the place where another 13-year-old skater made a splash. Twenty-five years ago, the young teen in question was Kwan.The rest of the competition results weren’t changed, however, so Kwan didn’t become a 13-year-old national champion after the fact.
Still, I’d say that Kwan went onto have a pretty good career after those championships, winning five world titles, two Olympic medals, and nine national championships.
Liu’s arrival on the scene is a welcome one for many U.S. skating fans who have been waiting for a young skater who could challenge the bevy of Russian and Japanese prodigies who are pulling off quad jumps and triple axels. While the U.S. doesn’t have an army of quad and triple axel jumpers as those countries do, we at least have Liu.
And now we just have to wait until Liu can compete on the senior circuit.
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